Jelly Belly Candy Company, best known for its popular gourmet jelly beans, is making sour headlines.

Chairman Herman Rowland Sr. has donated $5,000 to the discriminatory “The Privacy of All Students” campaign to restrict the rights of transgender students.

The campaign seeks to place the recently passed School Success and Opportunity Act on the ballot in California in 2014. The law, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed on August 12, clarifies that state public schools must honor students’ gender identity and expression.

The discriminatory National Organization for Marriage and other extremists have fought SSOA – and any attempt protect transgender rights – using scare tactics around “privacy” and fictional stories of harassment.

The law is an important step toward ensuring that discrimination based on gender identity or expression is addressed in schools. The School Success and Opportunity Act passed with the support of a broad coalition of education groups and stands as a testament to the growing support for transgender people.

All students have a right to learn in a safe and inclusive environment. The HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools initiative is hard at work building on this momentum to help elementary schools across the country become more inclusive.
Join HRC in calling out Chaiman Herman Rowland Sr. for his efforts to harm transgender students. Share the image below to take a stand in support of the sweet rights of the LGBT community.